Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-21
DAILY HERALD.
RAIL AND TIE.
Description Of the Vesti.
buled Excursion Train.
ANAHEIM TO THE OCEAN
Progress of the Rapid Transit
From Monrovia to Los An
geles-Fresh News.

Truman, 1IOm bOSCOn, IN winch ne
describes the Raymond and Whit
comb vestibule excursion train in a
graphic manner. He also gives some
interesting items in regard to former
excursionists and excursion trains,
and states that the people who at this
time patronize excursion trains are,
a. rule, superior to those Of earlier
times, when holders of excursion
tickets were looked down upon, be-
cause they did not pay full rates for
their transportation across the CONT
nant. Fortunately this condition of
things is now changed, and the most
travel at reduced rates whenever they
can secure them.
Many descriptions of vestibule
trains have been written without
demonstrating what constitutes the
aVestibule." Pullman sleepers OF
ordinary constructien-or, for that
matter, any coaches-can easily be
made into O. vestibuled train.
The vestibule is formed by the
platforms on each end Of the
coach, which are simply en-
closed by a sash containing win
dow-panes, the cars being joined
together by an Improved car-coupler,
and the sash, coupled in the middle
by an india-rubber arrangement,
which expands and contracts, as the
train stretches out or closes up, sim
liar to bellows.
Across the coupler is laid a platform
which is covered with india-rubber
mating, and continuous train is
made. The vestibule portion of Ray
mond & Whitcomb's train is ele-
Rantly fitted cut with cut-glass win
dows, the rubber sides being covered
with seal-brown plush. The train as
on exhition yesterday afternoon GER
tainly presented a most elegant ap-
pearance, and the general opinion oil
the many people who inspected it was,
elbow l weuld like to travel on this
train" The train leaves this morn.
ing at 1870 o'clock for Boston and the
East, and will carry passengers to
Kansas City and other points.
Major Truman's letter read: "Thi;
'vestibuled train as it is called, left
here at 4 yesterday afternoon, and
will arrive at East Pasadena in nine
or ten days with 165 passengers, ma.
jority of whom have made arrange.
ments to stay in California all winter
principally at the Raymond in Pasa.
dena, the Palace in San Francisco
aad at the Hotel del Monte, Monterey
1t is great deal the most
->c,,,r.lot<, x,,co+ unconditional or1 800,
luxurious affair that has ever beer
seen on a railway track and will
challenge the wonder and admiration
of hundreds OF thousands of people al
it speeds across the continent on it.
own schedule and right of way.
Time was, only seven years ago
when these Raymond & Whitcomt
Vacation Excursion Trains''fir made
their appearance, that crowds of peo
pie would assemble in the court of the
Palace to witness the unloading of the
"beaneaters" and "sardines," as
as these pioneer excursionists were
often termed by average OBJ.
servers, who, while themselves
not always burdened with coin,
smiled derisively upon whom
they seemed to think had crossed the
continent at excursion rates, and could
not be considered, in consequence, a
"way-up class"
1t is all different now, however, for
not only the best classes of people in
the country make the R. & W. round
trip, but numbers of Californians, and
especially ladies travelling alone, an
nually return to their far Western
homes under the auspices OF the
Messrs. Raymond & Whitcomb-who
by the way. have done great deal
towards making persons of means ac-
.quainted with California-and will
aingly pay $25 mere than they would
be compelled to expend for frst-class
"every thing" on their on account. Ir
this connection, am of the opinion
that the people who now come to Cal.
i0rnia on an average are really super
ior to those of the first years, taking
as a test of superiority that which re-
fleets wealth, intelligence and refine
ment. The first parties were chiefly
made up of school teachers, moderate
ly successful merchants and provident
clerks and others who had saved up''
for o long time for a vacation trip
either to Europe or California. Now
the majority of those who have
swelled the business from two trans
continental trips Of seven years ago to
twelve for 1873, are solid and re-
fined neople, such as merchants, man.
ufacturers and men of monetary pur-
suits, retired bread winners and others
OF substantial incomes, with a per-
ceptible sprinkling of the material of
which the FIRST years trips we're
chiefly composed.
But to the train: It was a dandy,
and no mistake-made up of eight yes
tibuled cars, five of which were Pull
man sleepers, with drawing room in
each end, named the "Whitcomb,"
Holden" "Almeria," "Corinthia"
and Pasadena !" two dining cars, the
Raymond" and "Del Monte named
In honor Of those two hotels; and the
Harvard" combination car. in
which there is a smoking room, libra
ry, barber shop, eight bath rooms,
lavatories, etc. Besides, there was
baggage car, and, of course, the en-
CINE and tender. The combination
car is the neatest thing / have ever
seen on wheels, and is simply perfec-
ton. 1t is finished in English oak,
and is daisy. The dining cars are
models, and are great improvements
over any heretofore used; they are
finished in French oak and myrtle
green plush, while the sleepers are fin
ished in mahogany and seal-brown
plush. Milton carpets are used
throughout, and all the old and new
coiyeniences are at hand. The Penn
sylvania company is running one of
these trains composed of four sleep
ers, one dining car and smoker. But
it does not at all compare to the train
have described, which will be the
first of its kind to cross the Mississippi
river, and which is the grandest thing
ever turned out of Mr.. Pullman's